Gift Funds L. Nelson Hopkins III, M.D. Endowed Chair in Neurosurgery

William A. Schreyer gives gift in honor of Buffalo's medical pioneer

By Sue Hofmann

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Inspired by the work of internationally known
pioneering neurosurgeon L. Nelson "Nick" Hopkins III, M.D., the
chairman emeritus of Merrill Lynch and Co. has made a gift of $1.5
million to the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and
Biomedical Sciences to establish an endowed fund to name a
neurosurgery chair in honor of the distinguished physician.

"Dr. Hopkins is a medical pioneer in the areas of endovascular
surgery, stroke prevention and treatment, and I cannot think of a
better way to honor his contributions to medicine and the Western
New York community than to create the endowed chair in
neurosurgery," said William A. Schreyer, a noted philanthropist who
has made transformational gifts to higher education and health
care.

Hopkins, who will be the first professor to hold the chair, is a
professor and chair in the UB Department of Neurosurgery and
director of UB's Toshiba Stroke Research Center, one of the leading
stroke research centers in the world.

A native son, born and raised in Buffalo, he returned to Western
New York to begin his practice after graduating from Albany Medical
College in 1969.

Hopkins, who also is chief of neurosurgery for Kaleida Health,
has built a renowned career at the UB medical school. His
translational research is cited extensively in publications and he
has presented at numerous international lectures and has held many
visiting professorships.

"Dr. Hopkins personifies the three-pronged focus of research,
teaching and compassionate patient care, gaining international
recognition for his hometown accomplishments," said Michael Cain,
dean of the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. "The L.
Nelson Hopkins III, M.D. Endowed Chair in Neurosurgery will
recognize his role in creating a legacy of teaching and research
that reflects the school's past, present and future."

In 1996, Hopkins secured a $3.6 million gift of equipment and
support services from Toshiba to create a major, interdisciplinary
stroke research center unmatched in the world in technology and
sophistication. Additionally, funds exceeding $10 million have also
been obtained by the center, generating local jobs and immeasurable
research discoveries and output.

Today, he heads a department that is the lead site for a new
FDA-approved study researching stroke intervention. His department
recently became the first in the nation to receive FDA approval for
a trial use of intracranial stenting for strokes. The FDA invited
the Cleveland Clinic to partner with Hopkins's team on this
pioneering clinical trial.

"Endowed faculty positions enable UB to attract and retain the
best and brightest researchers in the field, strengthen our
recruitment efforts, provide seed money to enhance the development
of new technologies and research trials and help the school to
realize its goal of being recognized as a top-tier, nationally
ranked medical school," said Cain.

"At UB, we have had preeminent neurosurgical expertise here for
five decades and this chair will allow us to leverage the
reputation of Dr. Hopkins and the existing Toshiba Stroke Research
Center to attract additional multi-million-dollar grants and
recruit exceptional physicians and faculty to UB."

Hopkins' research is particularly topical to the Buffalo Niagara
region. This area has the dubious distinction of being the "stroke
capital of the nation," a fact attributed to its aging, obese and
ethnic population. The UB medical school has spent generations
addressing the country's third-leading killer, behind only heart
disease and cancer, and the number one cause of adult
disability.

The school's commitment to research, teaching and compassionate
patient care, particularly in the area of neurosurgery, has
benefited the Western New York community enormously. In addition to
being home to one of the leading stroke research centers in the
world, it owns an international reputation for the quality of its
academic programs and research output.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive
public university, the largest and most comprehensive campus in the
State University of New York. The School of Medicine and Biomedical
Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, School of Nursing, School of
Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and School of Public Health
and Health Professions are the five schools that constitute UB's
Academic Health Center. UB's more than 28,000 students pursue their
academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate
and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University
at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American
Universities.